Trolley-switch.



J. G. ATTERBURY.

TROLLEY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4,1913.

1,1 1 1 ,555, Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2: 3 M I 1" 49 1 f 1 M l I 1 6 I l 1 Imneutor l fifi/z jiiarhvy witnesses g /7 0/4. WWW moms r THE NOR RIS PETERS C0.. PHOTU-LITHO. WASHIN U I ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. ATTERBURY, OEDANVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO CHARLES G. TAYLOR, 0F DANVILLE, ILLINOIS,

rnoLLnY-swrrcn.

n Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sebt. 22, 1914 Application filed September 4, 1913; Serial mfmaiaa.

To all whomjit may concern Be it known that I, on y G. ATTEnBURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville', in the county of Vermilion and State'of Illinois, 1 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley- Switches; ancl'I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

; be in'contactwith a live wire.

.30. invention consists in certain novel construction's,'combinations and arrangements of the This invention relates to improvements in trolley switches, and an object of the invention is to provide a switch whichmay be thrownautomatically at the same time that the track switch is thrown.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for directing the trolley either along the; main wire, or the branch wire connected with a movableswitch point in such a way that the trolley will always A further-"object of the invention is to provide an overhead trolley switch which may be operated by an electro-magnet or other suitable means acting upona rotatably mounted reciprocating member which is 1 connected to a swinging swltch point hinged to theinsulator support. p

With these and other objects in v1ew, the

parts which will be? hereinafter fully described and claimed, f1 1 In, the accompanying drawlngs wherein similar reference "characters designate correspondmg parts: Figure 1 1s a side elevation of the switch showing the same in closed position to guide a trolley upon a branch. line,

Fig, 2 is'an end elevation of the switch shown in Fig. 1 looking at the left hand end of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isfa top planview of the switch; and Fig. 4' is anend -elevation looking at theleft handendof- Fig. 1 when the switch. point is open, so that The general aim of the present invention is to provide a two-part switch having a rigid part connected to the ordinary trolley insulator and carrying a rotatably mounted reciprocating rod having a'resilient connection with an electro-magnet. The movable part of the switchis connected bymeans of a link to the rotatable rod and the structure is so designed that under normal cond1t1ons the trolley refrom the magnet to extend the movablepoint away from the main wire. YVhen itis desired to use the switch, the solenoid maybe energized'whereupon the link connecting the rod with the movable member will draw said movable member into contact with. the main WllQ.

In the drawings I have'shown thedevice as operated by means of an electro magnet and a cooperating spring. The embodiment shown herein comprises a stationary member 1 havinghinged portions 2 secured at. each 'endj thereof from which extend sockets 3 which may be secured to the ordinary insulator asused in trolley wire suspension. The loweredge of the stationary portion may have a grooved extension 4 which cooperates with the grooved end 5 of a removable plate 6 held by means of a screw or other suitablemeans 7, to the, lower edge of the stationary member for the purpose of holding the'main wire 8 in position." It is to be understood from this structure that the .main wire 8 is held practically in the same posltion at all times',"but can be removed by means of thedetachableplate 6.

The movable'par'tof the switch comprises a bodyQ having hinged portions 10 and 11 which receive pins 12 passingthrough'the jhinged portions 10 and 11, and also the hinged portion 2 formed upon the upper ends of the stationary part of the switch,

the pins 12" being practically in alinement so that the body or switch pointv 9 may swing to. one side of the stationary'member. The lower portion of the body 9 is provided with a slottedextending end 13 cooperating with the corresponding slotted end1{1;"carried by a removable plate 15 secured by means of screws or other suit-able means 16 to the lower edge of the switch point for the purpose of holding the wire 17 to the "switch point, said Wire 17 being connection with the trolley wire furnishing power tothe branch of the system to whichthe switch is applied. i

In order to provide means for moving the switch. point 9, with respect to the stationary part of the switch, there is provided a rod or solenoid core (the particular embodiment shown herein) indicated at ,18 having the 5 20 mounted in any suitable manner upon the stationary'member 1. Surrounding that portion of the solenoid core adjacent the solenoid, is a helical spring 21 which may have the outer end thereof in engagement with a washer 22 secured to the core 18 for the purpose of transferring stored energy to the core 18, as shown in Fig. 3, or as shown in Fig. 1,the outer end of the spring may be secured directly to the rod 18 as shown at 23.

The inner end of the helical spring 21 preferably acts upon one of the shield plates 241 formingthe end of the solenoid 20. i

In order that the reciprocating movement of the rod 18 may be imparted to the switch point 9, there is provided a link having bifurcated ends 26 and 27 respectively, the end 26 being connected by means of a pin 28, to the core 18, made of magnetic material when the solenoid is used for actuating the 5 same, while the end 27 is connected in any suitable manner to the joint 29secured by means of a screw 30 to a boss'31 carried by the movable point 9. The screw 30 allows the joint 29 to rotate freely and by having 30 the ends disposed as illustratedin Fig. 1,

means is provided for affording practically .a universal joint between the link 25 and the movable point 9. Preferably the arrangement ofthe bolts 12, the rod 18 and the joint 27 is substantially as shown in Fig. 1 with the rod 18 intermediate the bolts 12 and the joint 27. v

When electro-magnetic' means are used for operating the switch such as shown in 40 the drawings,the solenoid 20 may be connected by means of a wire 32 to any source,

of current 33, which in turn is connected by means of a wire 34 to one end of a switch point 35, the outer end of which is adapted to close upon the contact 36 for closing circuit upon the solenoid by means of a wire 37 which is connected to said solenoid and switch point 36.

The switch is designed so that normally the solenoid 20is deenergized and the spring '21 expanded to the position shown in Fig 3,

' inasmuch as spring 21 is a compression spring, and has the free end thereof connected'to the rod 18. Normally therefore,

the device stands in a position shown in Fig.

4. with the movable wire 17 carried by the movablepoint 9 held out of contact with the main wire 8 carried by the stationary part of the switch by means of a link 25. When i the track switch point is thrown to pass a car upon a branch'line, contact will be made between the switch point and contact 36 whereupon the solenoid 20 will be energized in a manner already indicated, so that the 68 solenoid core 18 will be sucked into the solenoid and the spring 21 placed under compression at the same time. that link 25ihas; the end 26 thereof drawn horizontally away from the universal joint at the end 27 so that the distance between themovable and fixed parts of the switch decreases. solenoid 20 is made strong enough to With-j draw the core lS u ntil-the forward end 38 of the wire 17 carriedby the switch point 9, lies directlyunder main wire 8. An approaching trolley will therefore pass from the trolley wire 8 to thetrolleywire 17" over the point 38 which-frictionally engages the main wire 8,? thisfmannerof vpassing the trolley from one wire to anotherbeing old'in'the art. As long as the track switch at the point 35 engages the contact. 36,"the solenoid 20 will remain energized and the switch point 9 will-have the wire carried thereby. in contact with the main wire, but as'soon as. contact is broken at the track switchythe' solenoid will become deenergized whereupon the spring 21 which is under compression, will expand to force theportion or point 9 away from the stationary part of the switch, as will be readily understood.

Shouldthat portion of the branch'wire 17 which is connected to the movable'part of the switch, be dead,electrically, ;for a shortv distance beyond; the switch, and the "mechanism have worn, so" that the point 38 is not 78 s The held in contact with wire-8,yetitwill be' understood that the trolley. which is spring actuated will press the branch. wire 17 against the wire 8 so that saiddead portion will beof the same potential as the main wire.

1. A trolley switch comprising a-fixed member, a movable member, said members being hingedly connected adj acent'the upper ends thereof, a rotatable reciprocable rod carried by the'fixed'member, resilient means normally holdingthe rod extended, a link interposed between the rod and the movable member, and means forywithdrawing, the. rod, said rod and link lying below ,the pivs otal connection of the said members] 2. A trolley switch comprising a fixed member, a movable member hingedlyconnected to, the upper portion of .the fixed member, a rotatable reciprocable rod carried by the fixed member, a. solenoidhaving the rod as a core, means interposed between the core and rod adapted to hold thelatter extended normally and a link interposed between the rod and the movable member, the rod and link; being locatedbelow the hinged connectionof the members of the. switch.

3. A switch comprisinga'fixd member, a

movable hinged member, connected to. the

upper portion ofthe fixed member, a reciprocable rod mo'untedlupon the fixed member below and to one side of the pivotal connection of the members, a" solenoid "having the rod as a core, means interposed between In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 17%116 fixed membea and 13d adapted to gold in presence of tWo Witnesses. t e latter exten ed on a link exten ing 1 from the rod and connected to the movable f Y'. 5 member at a pointbelow and to the other Witnesses:

side of the pivotal connection of the mem- E. L. DALBEY, here. 1 CHAS. G. TAYLOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' "Washington, D. C. 

